Bolster



Patented May 2, |899.

J. C. WANDS. A

BOLSTER.

(Application mad Mar. 21, 159e.)

No Model.)

No. 624,276. Patented May 2, |899. J. C. WANDS.

BULSTER.

(Applicatxon led Mar. 21, 1898.) CNo Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITEDr STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. VVANDS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BOLSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,276, dated May 2, 1899.

Application liled March Z1, `1898.Y l

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. WANDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in` Bolsters, of which the followingis a f ull,clear,v and exact description, suchas will enable othersskilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure l is atop plan View of my improvedbolster. Fig. 2 is a side elevational View, partly in section, of thesame. Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view. Fig. 4 is an endelevational .view of the end casting. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional viewthrough the compression member of said block. Fig. 6 is a top plan viewof the spring-seat. Fig. 7 is a crosssectional view through saidspring-seat. Fig.

' Sis a detail view of the head-block and springseat as seen from theinside and Fig. 9 is a sectional view through one end of the bolster,showing a modified form.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in bolsters forcar-trucks,the object being to construct abolster of the characterdescribed in such manner that ordinary channel-iron may be employed forthe compression member, the tension memberrbeing of the material knownas flitch bar iron or steel. Castings are also preferably employed totake up the end thrust of the com# pression member and aord means ofattachment with the tension member without subjecting said tensionmember to abrupt curves. While I have mentioned these materials as beingpreferable, it is obvious that others could as well be used.

By the use of commercial rolled forms as the principal members of myimproved bolster and the manner in which said forms are assembled I amable to produce a truck-bolster which under strains will resistdeflection to a high degree, while at the same time it is lighter inweight and less expensive to manufacture for the load it carries thanany other bolster on the market with which I am familiar.

The special features of this invention reside in the combination with acompression member whose end thrusts are taken up by Serial No. 674,611.(No model.)

head-blocks against which they abut, the tension member being bent aroun/said headblocks and secured to the e s of the compression member, asuitab ing-post being employed to separate said two members and formwhat is known asa strut. The compression member is preferably camberedto give it strength and in cross-section is of the form of an invertedrolled channel-beam, while the tension member is what is known as flitchbar iron or steel.

In the drawings, A indicates the compression member,which is preferablyarolled channel-beam, cambered as shown in Fig. 2.

B indicates the tensionvmember, which is preferably made of rolled ironor steel, commercially known as Hitch bar. This tensionmember is formedat its ends with lateral shoulders b, as shown in Figs. l and 2, whichshoulders are designed to rest against shoulders c of the head castingor-block C. This block C-is' shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 8, andconsists of parallel side walls c', which are provided with verticalribs c" on their outer faces, which ribs act as column-guides. Theseside walls, at their inner ends, are set in, forming shoulders 0"',which shoulders support the depending flanges of the channeledcompression member. The top and bottom walls of the casting C are formedwith seats for the tension member, which seats are connected at theouter ends of the casting by a rounded or curved portion, so that whenthe tension member is in position there will be no abrupt curves orsharp corners to lessen its tensile strength. Interiorstrengthening-ribs are provided for the casting in any suitable manner.When the compression member is in position, its ends t snugly againstthese blocks, being flush with the groove or seat for IOO E indicatesthe king-post or strut, which is preferably formed hollow for thepassage of the king-bolt, said strut being provided with lateral iiangese to afford an extended bearing for the compression member, while thelower end is formed as a pocket or seat for the tension member. SuitableWebs may be employed to strengthen this strut, as is obvious.

Inassembling the different parts the strut is placed in position and thetension member bent over the blocks at the ends of the bolster, afterwhich Suitable rivets or other securing devices d are introduced throughthe ends of the tension and compression members to hold said partstogether. The sp ringseats arethen placed in position and the boltsintroduced between the column-guides of the truck. The exertion of thesprings bearing against the under faces of the spring-seats will holdthe same in position, aided by the weight of the car on the bolster.

In Fig. 9 I have shown a sectional view through one end ofmyimprovedbolster,showing a slightly-modified form of attachment of the tensionmember, in which instead of forming a T-head on said tension member Ibend one end, as 'at d", under, which end rests against a'shoulder onblock C. Rivets are provided for holding the parts together, as beforedescribed. y

WVhile I have shown the ends of the tension member as being secured tothe ends of the compression member, the two members holding the block inposition between them, it is obvious that means could be employed forsecuring the compression member to the block and the tension member tosaid block, thus dispensing with the attachment between the compressionand tension members direct. Such-'separate attaching devices for thecompression and tension members to the block are illustrated by dottedlines in Fig. 9, in which represents rivets for securing the compressionAmember to the block, and grepresentsa rivet for securing the tensionmember to said block.

I am. aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of the several parts of my bolstercan be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and.

described without in the least departing from the nature and principleof my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

v l. The combination with a commerciallymade compression member ofchannel-beam form, of a tension member bent at its ends to engage theends of the channel-beam compression member, and a strut; substantiallyas described.

2. The combination with a commerciallyl made compression member ofchannel-beam form, of a iitch-bar or flat-plate tension member bent upyat its ends over the web of the channel-beam compression member, astrut, head-blocks tting on the ends of the compression member, andcolumn-guides formed on said head-blocks; substantially as described. I

3. In a car-truck bolster, the combination with a compression member o`fchannel-beam form, of a ditch-bar tension member, and head-blocks formedwith seats for the compression member and around whichthe ends of. thetension member are bent, said ends being secured rmly in position at apoint above the .head-blocks; substantially as described.

4. In a car-truck bolster, the combination with a compression member, ofa tension member, head-blocks which receive the ends of said compressionmember, said head-blocks being extended beyond said compression member,and formed with seats for the tension member, which tension member isbent v around said head-blocks and is shouldered against the inner upperedges of said headblocks; substantiallyas described.

5. In a car-truck bolster, the combination with a compression member, ofa tension member, head-blocks, which receive the-ends of the compressionmember, said head-blocks being extended outwardly some distance beyondsaid compression member, and formed with grooved seats for the tensionmember, means for securing said tension member to the compressionmember,-said tension member also being shouldered against the innerupper edges of the head-blocks, and columnguides on said head-blocks;substantially as described.

6. In a car-truck bolster, the combination `with a compression member,ofa tension member,headb1ocks which receive the ends of said compressionmember, said head-blocks being extended' beyond said compression memberand formed with seats for the tension member, means for securing saidtension member to the compression member, column-guides formed on saidheadeblocks,and spring-plates; substantially as described.

'7. In a car-truck bolster, the'combination with a compression member,of a tension member,'and head-blocks which are formed to receive theends of the compression member, and,also, afford abutments for the endsof the tension member, said tension member being formed at its ends toengage said head-blocks, and pull outwardly thereagainst when undertension, the tension member below the headblocks being unattached to thehead-blocks and free to move; substantially as described.

8. In a car-truck bolster, the combination with a compression member, ofhead-blocks arranged at each end thereof, a tension -member whichis'bent around said head-blocks, and over said compression member, andsecuring devices for the attachment of the extreme ends of said tensionmember to said compression member, whereby said tension member is freeto stretch its entire length between the ends of the bolster and aroundthe head-blocks substantially as described.

9. The combination with the compression member of head-blocks arrangedat the ends thereof, and which extend outwardly beyond said compressionmember, a tension member whose ends are bent around said head-blocks,and thence extend inwardly and overlap the ends of the compressionmember, and rivets for securing the ends of the tension and compressionmembers together; substantially as described. Y

l0. The combination with the compression member of head-blocks arrangedat the ends thereof, and which extend outwardly beyond

